The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-13

ChO iilOi says. ne SlRub Ol uDS uedu
and wounded lying i'll the adjacent fields
was horrible. My friend counted ninety
seven dead bodies at noon yesterday, and
the wreck was not nearly cleared away.
They were lying in little helps of
about dozen, all having been killed
III different manner. Threefourths of the
dead never knew what killed them. 1t was
a sight | never want to look upon again.
There were young, ladies in pic
saturated with blood, and the front of their
faces mashed beyond recognition. One
young looking mother had held her baby in
her arms, when timber striking the child
IN the back, impaled both victims in instant
DEATH The mothers face did not bear a
scratch, but the expression upon it will
haunt me to my grave. l was sick when
returned from the catastrophe last night.
IL would make any man sick.
AT THE PEORIA DEPOT.
"T'he depot at Peoria was surrounded by
5000 people, all waiting for news from the
wreck. The switch yards had been cleared
OF cars, and along between the rails stood
rows of cots to receive the dead and wounded
as they were brought in. Near these cots
were backed up perhaps 100 covered wagons,
and beyond the wagons stood $50
soldiers to keep the crowd back.
A committee of 100 citizens
wearing Grape We're stationed at the cots to
take care of the victims All Peoria is in
tears There were scores of her best citi-
zens on that train, among them being many
young ladies. Everybody says it was the
Jolllest party that ever started on an excur-
sion. They were as merry as school chill
dren. Hundreds had been to the train to
see their friends depart but thous-
ands were there to take their
dead bodies away on the return.
THE RAILROAD OFFICIALS CONDEMNED.
1.-The action of the railroad officials after
the accident was condemned by almost
everybody Hundreds of people got as far
as Forest on their way to the wreck, but
had to walk the rest of the distance-six
miles. The officials rode up and down the
tracy, and a few slow-going trains
brought in the Dead but the wounded
and dying were left on the
ground, with no relief except that which
their partners in grief could give them.
They lay in the muddy fields all night, with
the rain beating down, while their groans
and cries went up in vain. As fast as the
baggage could be taken from the cars, no
matter whose it was, it was torn open and
dresses and shirts appropriated for
bandages to dress the wounds of the
suffering. After the physicians and nurses
had finished with the trunks thieves rihed
them and carried off what was valuable.
II myself" said Mr.. Church, the speaker,
saw the head, shoulders and arms of a
young woman hanging from a car window,
and man went up and began stripping the
rings from her dead fingers. Some of the
passengers interfered and made him desist. "
THE PECUNIARY LOSS.
CHICAGO, Aug. IL, 10 p. MA Chicago
Times Forest, ILL.,, special says: The pecu-
MARY loss arising from the accident is SIM
ply enormous. Under the laws of Illinois
the relatives of those killed in the disaster
will, if they have any claim at all, deplete
the Treasury of the Toledo, Peoria and
Western of something like $3.50, 900,
and those injured would receive at least a
quarter of million more. The Railroad
Commissioners were at the scene of the dis
aster to-day, and will endeavor to locate the
exact cause of the occurrence. The task is
no easy one, but the officers of the State
are clothed with full authority to investi-
gate all persons and papers and report.
They laid the foundation of an examination
to-day and will resume operations in Peoria
Tuesday 1t is bound to make a great big
law suit, one that viii furnish new precedents
and rulings on the law of common carriers.
The Coroner's jury is still pegging away
There are some scores of witnesses yet to be
examined and the railroad board will make
an investigation on its own account. The
matter will probable not be adjusted for ten
years to come.
THE LATEST ON THE DEATH LIST.
All manner of speculation is heard here
as to the number of dead. The Coroner
says he can account for seventy y-seven
bodies, and believes there are no more in
the wreck. The latter part of
the statement is unquestionably
true, but the latest and most
reliable advices swell the number of fatali-
ties to over eighty. The railroad people
have agents at work collecting information
as to the number and residences of the
dead and wounded Many were taken
away from Chatsworth and Piper
City early yesterday morning before the
extent of their injuries was made known.
Some of these have, it is said, died to-day.
The railroad people say that eighty seven
have already died and thirteen more are in
a critical condition. 1t is understood that
the company will tonight, through its gen
eral offices at Peoria, furnish
to the public a complete list of
the dead, wounded and missing. Unless
this is done the general public will never
know the full extent of the calamity. The
bodies of the victims, nearly all of wounded
and the personal effects of the passengers,
are no longer in Chatsworth and Piper City
All efforts to accurately ascertain the iden-
tity of the sufferers UP to this time have
been unavailing. The Coroner himself is at
sea with his figures, and now intimates
that he may possibly have under
estimated the full extent of the disaster
The railroad officials alone can enlighten
the public on this point The newspapers
are powerless, as numerous bodies and
wounded people were removed before any
of the correspondents arrived in Chats
worth.
CLEARING THE TRACK
CHATswoRTH. ILL.,, Aug 12-At z
O'Clock this morning Master Mechanic War
rem, with a wrecking train and large force
of men, were at work Mr. Warren was
confident the track would be cleared for
trains by noon. They were certain all the
bodies had been removed from the wreck.
A special car with officials of the Wabash
road reached the wreck early this morning
and rendered the use of their wrecking out
fit and offered TO be of any service possible.
The Illinois Central also offered any re-
quired assistance, but Mr.. Warren said
he thought his present equipment
would enable him to clear the
track President Leonard, Supt
Armstrong, and other Toledo, Peoria and
Western officials, were seen this morning.
They have given devoted attention TO the
relief of the injured and care of the dead.
Both show signs of the terrible shock which
the accident has been to them. President
Leonard said so far as the railroad officials
could estimate there were about eighty
killed and 100 seriously wounded. There
are many who were slightly injured, OF
whom no record has yet been obtained. A